The goal of the invention is to furnish a means for joining flat prefabricated elements so they can be assembled on the ground, one after the other, and remain continuously coplanar over time. These flat prefabricated elements are preferably roadway elements made of concrete, but they may consist of any other flat prefabricated element, whether made of concrete, metal, wood, glass, plastic or other material.
Prefabricated concrete roadway elements are subjected to strong forces from passing vehicles, expanding and contracting according to outdoor temperature, and are generally placed on uncemented soil that changes with the weather depending on climatic conditions (ice, rain, etc.) and various vibrations and tremors. Thus, the ground undergoes different degrees of settling depending on its location. Consequently, prefabricated concrete roadway elements must be joined by a connecting system that takes these parameters into account and prevents the appearance of “steps” interfering with vehicle traffic.
Currently the system for connecting flat prefabricated elements consists of providing bolts mounted in openings provided for this purpose on the transverse end edges of the flat prefabricated elements that must be located opposite each other and in close proximity after assembly on the ground. Generally, according to this technique, each flat prefabricated element receives the attaching bolts on one of its transverse end edges, but there is no bolt housed in the openings situated on the other transverse end edge. Therefore, each flat prefabricated element has one extremity comprising male connections and another extremity comprising unattached female receptor openings. During assembly of the two successive flat prefabricated elements on the ground, a first flat prefabricated element is positioned on a flat portion of backfilled ground, using a crane, for example. Next the second flat prefabricated element is positioned on the ground close to and following the first one, for example, using the same crane, with the transverse end edges of the two flat prefabricated elements facing each other. Next, still using the same crane, the second element is moved longitudinally in translation toward the first one causing the male connectors on one to penetrate the female receptors on the other. The cooperation between the male connectors and the female receptors ensures the connection between the two flat prefabricated elements.
This prior art system for joining flat prefabricated elements has numerous disadvantages.
First, a high degree of precision is required to embed the male connectors of one flat prefabricated element in the female receptor orifices of the other flat prefabricated element, making the maneuvers extremely difficult, especially when the crane is manipulating very heavy flat prefabricated elements.
Additionally, this embedding process takes place by moving one flat prefabricated element along the ground in translation towards the other one. This displacement along the ground generally creates a pile of sand or dirt between the two elements, interfering with the process of joining them and making the ground susceptible to unevenness in that area.
In order to prevent water from infiltrating between two flat prefabricated elements and carrying sand as it trickles into the area where the elements are joined, this space is generally blocked by a flexible seal between the two flat prefabricated elements. This seal is usually formed by flowing liquid polymer between adjacent end edges of the two successive flat prefabricated elements. This is a delicate step that must be performed by different work crew than the crew that positioned the flat prefabricated elements and which requires drying time prior to manipulation, slowing progress on the work site.
Finally, the presence of connecting bolts between two flat prefabricated elements concentrates localized stress in the area surrounding each bolt, which may cause fissures and then breakage of the flat prefabricated elements in this area.
Similarly, the rigidness of this connecting system allows only a slight amount of play if the flat prefabricated elements move or swell, which can constitute an additional source of element breakage.